Dan Branco 6/18/1931-11/16/2015

Dan Branco, who was the patriarch of a California family that has competed at the top level of ProRodeo for three generations, passed away Nov. 16 in Chowchilla, Calif., at the age of 84.

He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo nine times as a team roper (1959-64, 1967-68 and 1973) and twice finished among the top three in the average (1962 and 1973), dividing his time between rodeo and operating a 480-acre farm with cotton, corn and alfalfa.

One of his sons, Steve, qualified for the NFR as a team roper in 1983; his grandson Stan went to the 2013 Wrangler NFR as a steer wrestler.

Dan was born on June 18, 1931, in Merced, Calif. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Columba Catholic Church, 213 Orange Ave, Chowchilla, CA 93610 at 10 a.m. Nov. 30. Interment will follow at a later date.